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PM Defends Law, Labels CSOs, President “Foreign Agents”
Despite harsh criticism from international partners of the “Foreign Agents Law” that the ruling majority passed in its first reading today, April 17, Prime Minister Kobakhidze insisted at his almost two-hours-long press conference that the ruling party was committed to the European path. He used the time to attack CSOs, political opponents, and international partners …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, Law on Foreign Agents, PM Irakli Kobakhidze
17/04/2024 - 19:50
Red Haze: Georgia After Bolshevik Occupation
In early July 1921, Joseph Stalin paid a visit to Tbilisi. Some four months had passed since Georgia fell to Soviet occupation, and the Bolshevik leader expected a warm welcome in his native land. But he found resistance, criticism, and curses from local workers and his former fellow revolutionaries. By this time, the Bolsheviks’ rather …
President Zurabishvili’s Interview to BBC
In her interview with BBC News on April 17 the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili said that the Foreign Agents law is a “a direct provocation”, a way to obstruct the EU integration and “to put obstacles to free and fair elections” calling the upcoming Parliamentary elections a “main test.” President Zurabishvili said the draft …
Tags: BBC, foreign agents law, President, Salome Zurabishvili
GD Legislates to Facilitate Asset Transfers from Tax Havens
On April 17, the Parliament of Georgia adopted the amendments to the Tax Code in an accelerated manner in the first hearing. The law relieves all natural persons from their recognized unpaid tax arrears incurred before January 1, 2021, and exempts from all taxes the transfer of assets from enterprises in tax havens to Georgian …
Georgian CSOs Denounce Police Brutality and Illegal Arrests During April 16 Protests
Georgian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) issued a joint statement following the arrests on April 16 of 13 peaceful protesters “who enjoyed the right of freedom of assembly and expression and defended Georgia’s European future” in which they “strongly condemn” police actions. The statement says that Georgian non-governmental organizations spent the entire night searching for the detainees …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, foreign agents law
Borrell, Várhelyi: Adoption of “Foreign Agents Law” Would Negatively Impact Georgia’s EU Path
EU High Representative Joseph Borrell and Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi reacted in a joint statement today, April 17, to the adoption of the so-called “Foreign Agents Law” by the Georgian parliamentary majority in its first reading, stressing that “this is a very concerning development and the final adoption of this legislation would …
Tags: EU-Georgia relations, Joseph Borrell, Law on Foreign Agents, Olivér Várhelyi
Parliament Approves Levan Machavariani’s MP Credentials
On April 17, the Georgian Parliament voted by 83 votes to approve the parliamentary credentials of Levan Machavariani, a new MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party list. Levan Machavariani was elected to replace Irakli Beraia as a member of parliament. Beraia was appointed the new Head of the Georgian Intelligence Service by Prime Minister …
President Convenes EU, EU Member States Ambassadors on “Foreign Agents Law”
On April 17, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili met with the EU and EU member states ambassadors at the Orbeliani Presidential Palace to discuss development unfolding in the country and particularly the Foreign Agents Law. According to the official press release of the President’s Administration, during the meeting the President emphasized the importance of international partners’ …
Tags: EU-Georgia relations, Law on Foreign Agents, Paweł Herczyński, Robin Dunnigan, Salome Zurabishvili
Majority Votes for “Foreign Agents” Bill 83-0 in First Reading
On April 17, the ruling majority passed the controversial Russian-style “Foreign Agents Law” in its first reading with 83 votes in favor and none against, despite strong opposition from international partners, opposition MPs and politicians, and ongoing public protests near the Parliament building. The opposition MPs were absent from the plenary hall during the vote. …
Medvedev Expresses Support to Foreign Agents’ Bill Re-introduced by GD
On April 17 Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Russian Dmitry Medvedev, known for his highly belligerent public statements and rants on Twitter, addressed the ongoing developments in Georgia related to the ruling Georgian Dream’s initiative to adopt “Foreign Agents” law. In a lengthy tweet Medvedev welcomes the attempt to adopt …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, foreign agents law, Russia
International Reactions to Reintroduction of Draft Law on Foreign Agents
On April 3, the parliamentary majority leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Mamuka Mdinaradze, announced the reintroduction of the draft law on foreign agents, which the GD had to withdraw last year after the March 7-9 massive rallies against the bill. According to Mdinaradze, the content of the bill remains the same, the only change is in …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, Draft Law on Foreign Agents, international community
American Chamber of Commerce Urges PM, Parliament Speaker to Drop “Foreign Agents” Bill
In an April 16 letter to Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, the American Chamber of Commerce voices concern about the Foreign Agents Bill, which it said would undermine Georgia’s EU membership aspirations, and calls for its withdrawal. American Chamber of Commerce is the largest business association in Georgia, and includes …
Public Outcry Over Reintroduced “Foreign Agents” Law
The reintroduction of the Russian-style Foreign Agents Law announced by parliamentary majority leader Mamuka Mdinaradze on April 3, has provoked harsh criticism not only from international partners and domestic political forces, but also from public opinion makers, professional associations and civil society organizations in Georgia. Professional Groups/Associations Scientists and Academic Staff Working in Higher Education …
Tags: Law on Foreign Agents
The Daily Beat: 16 April
Late at night on Tuesday, the riot police demonstrated sporadic and unpredictable use of indiscriminate force while dispersing the remaining protesters near the parliament building. Several journalists, including from online media outlets Publika and Tabula, as well as protesters, were reportedly chased and beaten during the late-night rally. On Tuesday evening, another mass demonstration …
Tags: Attack on Journalist, Central Election Commission, Charles Michel, Commissioner for Human Rights, Council fo Europe, Draft Law on Foreign Agents, Emanuel Macron, Georgian Dream party, Interior Ministry, Ombudsman, PACE, Parliament of Georgia, President Salome Zurabishvili, Protest rally, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, Venice Commission
Riot Police Pursue, Attack Online Media Journalists
Several journalists, including from the online media Publika, Tabula and Aprili, reported being chased and beaten by police during the April 16-17 protest rally against the “Foreign Agents Law” near the Parliament building. Aleksandre Keshelashvili, a journalist from Publika, was reportedly beaten by police while carrying out his professional duties. According to Publika, he was …
Photo Story | Riot Police Use Pepper Spray to Break Up Protest Against “Foreign Agents Law,” Arrest Protesters
On April 16, another demonstration took place near the parliament building while the legislature was discussing the Russian-style Foreign Agents Law. After lawmakers left the building, the situation behind Parliament escalated as riot police used pepper spray to disperse peaceful demonstrators without warning, deliberately targeting the faces of protesters. According to the Ministry of Internal …
President Appeals to Michel, Macron to Discuss Developments in Georgia at European Council Meeting
President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili appealed to the European Council President Charles Michel and the French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the developments in Georgia at tomorrow’s session of the European Council, despite the fact that the issue is not in the agenda, according to the Presidential administration of Georgia. A massive protest continues in …
Tags: Charles Michel, Emmanuel Macron, foreign agents law
16/04/2024 - 23:53
Ombudsman Urges MIA to Follow “International Standards” in Case of Crackdown
On April 16, the Public Defender’s Office called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia to ensure “protection of all citizens’ freedom of expression and assembly in a safe environment” and “to adhere to the relevant international standards” in case it uses force against the demonstrators at the ongoing rally against the reintroduced Foreign …
Riot Police Attempt to Disperse Demonstrators with Pepper Spray, Detentions
The riot police used pepper spray without warning and deliberately aimed at the demonstrators’ faces, similar to last year’s practice during March protests. The ambulances are rendering first aid to the injured who have trouble breathing and seeing. In parallel with the arrests, dispersals and pepper spraying, the MIA issued a statement with a standard …
Charles Michel: Foreign Agents Law “Not Consistent with Georgia’s EU Aspiration”
Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, stated that the so-called “Foreign Agents Law” re-introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party “is not consistent with Georgia’s EU aspiration and its accession trajectory.” He emphasized that the adoption of this law “will bring Georgia further away” from the EU. “The Georgian people have chosen the …
Tags: Charles Michel, European Council, Law on Foreign Agents
Police Hassle Protesters as the Majority Poised to Adopt the ‘Foreign Agents Law’
Citizens started to gather at various locations around the Parliament building as the ruling majority is poised to adopt the highly controversial, Russian-style “foreign agents’ law” in its first reading on April 16. The police hassled a group of protesters, mostly made of opposition activists, who tried to block the side entrance to the parliament …
Tags: Law on Foreign Agents, Protest
PACE President Asks Venice Commission for Opinion on “Foreign Agents Law”
On April 15, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Theodoros Rousopoulos, asked the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) for an urgent opinion on the compliance of the so-called Foreign Agents Bill “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” with Council of Europe standards, the CoE said. Earlier, on …
Tags: anti-LGBT law, gender quotas, Law on Foreign Agents, PACE, PACE Co-Rapporteurs
Campaign Beat: March 30-April 15
The Georgian Dream is using the re-submission of a highly controversial foreign agents’ law and its accompanying anti-Western and anti-liberal rhetoric as the key driver of its campaign. This matter, imposed by GD for no apparent ground, polarizes a large portion of politically active citizens and saps oxygen from healthy debate on campaign topics. The …
Tags: election campaign, Elections 2024
Parliament Speaker Accused of Concealing CoE HR Commissioner’s Letter on Foreign Agents Law
In a letter to Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili dated April 11, which surfaced in the media on April 16, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty asks members of the Parliament “to refrain from adopting the so-called Foreign Agents’ law” and engage with the national and international partners on how best to ensure …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, Council of Europe (CoE), foreign agents law
Lawyers: Rights Violated for Protesters Detained at anti-Foreign Agents Law Rally
At the April 15 rally against the reintroduced Foreign Agents Law, the police groundlessly arrested some protesters and obstructed their right to legal defense after detention, lawyers claim in comments to the opposition-leaning Mtavari Arkhi. Police detained 14 people during the mass rally on the night of April 15 against the Foreign Agents Law for …
Tags: foreign agents law
Photo Story | Citizens Protest Against Foreign Agents Law Deliberations in Legal Issues Committee
On April 15, a mass rally was held near the Parliament building against the Russian-style Foreign Agents Law while the legislature’s Legal Issues Committee discussed the bill. The protests began at 10 a.m. behind the Parliament building, and thousands joined in the evening from 7 p.m. The peaceful demonstrations continued until late midnight. Riot police …
The Daily Beat: 15 April
On Monday evening, thousands of Georgian citizens gathered in front of the Parliament building to protest against the reintroduced Foreign Agents law. The ruling Georgian Dream party endorsed the Foreign Agents Law at the Legal Affairs Committee amid the mass protest, having expelled the dissenting opposition MPs from the Committee hearing. Police detained 14 people …
Tags: Aleko Elisashvili, foreign agents law, Georgian Dream party, Interior Ministry, Kakha Kaladze, Mamuka Mdinaradze, Mark Clayton, Pawel herczynski, President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Protest rally, Robin Dunnigan
14 Detained at Rally Against Foreign Agents Law
Police detained 14 people during the mass rally on the night of April 15 against the Foreign Agents Law, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia reported. According to the MIA, the participants of the rally “violated public order, resisted law enforcement, and verbally abused them”, resulting in their arrest under Articles 166 and 173 …
Tags: Detention, Law on Foreign Agents, MIA, Ministry of Internal Affairs
15/04/2024 - 23:56
Legal Issues Committee Endorses Russian Law Amid Massive Popular Protest
Having expelled the dissenting opposition MPs from the Committee hearing, the ruling Georgian Dream has endorsed the reintroduced Foreign Agents Law in the legal Issues Committee against the backdrop of the massive popular protest which continues at the Parliament of Georgia. The riot police in full gear, as well as water cannons are mobilized in …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, foreign agents law
Three Georgians Illegally Detained by Russian Occupation Forces
On April 15, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) reported that the Russian occupation forces illegally detained three Georgian citizens on the occupied territory near the villages of Zemo Artsevi and Otrevi. According to the same report, upon receiving information about the incident, the SSSG activated the “hot line” operated by the EU Monitoring …
EU, UK and U.S. Ambassadors Meet with PM Kobakhidze over Foreign Agents’ Law
The European Union Ambassador Paweł Herczyński, the United Kingdom Ambassador Mark Clayton, and the United States Ambassador Robin Dunnigan met with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze while the bill was being considered by the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs. The government administration said that the draft law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” was the topic of …
Scuffle at Parliamentary Committee Hearing on Foreign Agents Law
Tempers flared today at the deliberations on the Foreign Agents’ draft law at the Legal Affairs Committee as Aleko Elisashvili, an opposition lawmaker from the Citizens’ Party, punched Mamuka Mdinaradze, the leader of the parliamentary majority of the ruling Georgian Dream party. The committee hearing was immediately suspended and the MPs left the room along …
Tags: Aleko Elisashvili, Law on Foreign Agents, Mamuka Mdinaradze
Citizens Rally Near Parliament Building as Discussions Begin over Foreign Agents’ Law
Citizens have gathered to hold a rally near the parliament building in protest against the Russian-style so-called Foreign Agents Law as the parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee begins discussing the bill. The demonstrators are holding banners reading “No to Russian law”, “This law is a big wall between Georgia and EU”, “There is a Vi-Rus in …
PM Slams U.S., EU Ambassadors for “Interference,” “Diktat,” Challenges Them for TV Debate on Foreign Agent Law
In an official statement, PM Irakli Kobakhidze has leveled a series of accusations against U.S., European Union, and EU-member state ambassadors, accusing them of “interference” and of “substituting the opposition.” To address their “unsubstantiated criticisms,” PM Kobakhidze invited them to publicly debate the “foreign agents law.” The statement, suggesting an unprecedented break from diplomatic practice, …
Tags: EU Ambassadors, EU bid, PM Irakli Kobakhidze
14/04/2024 - 20:28
Persons with Disabilities Appeal to Lawmakers not to Pass so-called Foreign Agents Law
More than 100 persons with disabilities and disability rights organizations from different regions of Georgia addressed the Georgian Parliament on April 8, urging it “not to pass the anti-state, anti-European and pro-Russian law“. The statement says that the undersigned persons with disabilities and their representatives “strongly oppose the bill on the Transparency of the Foreign …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, foreign agents law
13/04/2024 - 20:49
The Daily Beat: 12 April
On Friday morning, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced Lazare Grigoriadis to 9 years in prison. Grigoriadis, 23, was arrested in connection with the March 7-9 protests against the Foreign Agents Law for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at police and setting fire to a police car. Later in the day, the defendant side officially appealed to …
Tags: Barbel Bas, Council of Europe (CoE), foreign agents law, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Freedom House, Georgian Dream party, Irakli Garibashvili, Kakha Kaladze, Lazare Grigoriadis, Mamuka Mdinaradze, Olaf Scholz, President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Tbilisi City Court, TV Pirveli
“Georgian Dream is Russian Dream” | President’s Interview
– “Georgian Dream”- so is it a Russian dream? – asked the journalist. – So, it is a Russian dream, – said Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili in her latest live interview with local channel TV Pirveli. President Zurabishvili covered many issues: the reintroduced Russian-style draft law on foreign agents, the upcoming parliamentary elections, the country’s …
Tags: Elections 2024, Emigrants, Law on Foreign Agents, Lazare Grigoriadis, President Salome Zurabishvili, Russian Law
BREAKING: President Zurabishvili to Pardon Lazare Grigoriadis
In a live interview with the local channel TV Pirveli, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said that she will pardon Lazare Grigoriadis, who was sentenced to nine years in prison earlier today, April 12. She said she has not signed the relevant order yet, but she has made her decision. Grigoriadis, 22, who has become one …
Tags: Lazare Grigoriadis, President Salome Zurabishvili
12/04/2024 - 21:08
Freedom House: Georgia on its Way to Becoming Semi-Consolidated Authoritarian Regime
According to Freedom House’s Nations in Transit 2024 report, Georgia’s score remains unchanged – 3.04 from the last year, however, the same report notes that “the autocratizing hybrids like Hungary, Serbia, and to a lesser extent Georgia are on their way to becoming Semi-Consolidated Authoritarian Regimes based on the report methodology.” The the US-based rights …
Tags: Freedom House, Nations in Transit
PM Kobakhidze Visits Germany
The Georgian delegation headed by the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze is on an official visit to Germany. He has already held a meeting with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, followed by a joint press conference, and with Bärbel Bas, the President of the German Bundestag. Within the framework of his visit , the …
Tags: Germany, Irakli Kobakhidze, Olaf Scholz
CoE Report Says Freedom of Assembly Violations Topped New Violations in Georgia in 2023
According to the 17th annual report of the CoE Committee of Ministers “Supervision of the Execution of Judgments and Decisions of the ECHR 2023”, published on April 11, most of the new violations in 2023 in Georgia concerned violations of the applicant’s right to freedom of assembly. The report says that the pending cases included cases of …
Lazare Grigoriadis Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison
On April 12, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced Lazare Grigoriadis to nine years in prison. Grigoriadis, 22, was arrested in connection with the March 7-9 protests against the so-called Foreign Agents Law for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at police and setting fire to a police car. Today, Judge Zviad Sharadze found him guilty of both …
Tags: Lazare Grigoriadis
The Daily Beat: 11 April
According to the Parliament’s press release, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili is in Central Asia on an official visit until 13 April. Accompanied by the parliamentary delegation, Speaker Papuashvili has met with high-ranking officials from the executive and legislative branches of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, mostly discussing bilateral trade-economic relations and transport-logistics cooperation. The coalition of twelve …
Tags: Bundestag, CSOs, EU nine conditions, European Commission, Germany, Olaf Scholz, Pawel herczynski, President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili
Interview | There will be no Bypassing of Requirements
Germany was at the origin of the European Union, is the economic engine of the Union, and one of the most influential actors in the Euro-Atlantic arena. If anything, its role in the EU has increased with Brexit, especially in light of the ongoing acknowledgment of Zeitenwende, the change of the tide of times brought …
Tags: Bundestag, EU bid, Germany
11/04/2024 - 23:12
EU Ambassador: Foreign Agents Law Would Make Positive EC Assessment ‘ Very Difficult’
The EU Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński said “time is running short” and Georgia should implement all nine steps defined by the European Commission “as quickly as possible.” The Ambassador also commented on the re-tabled Foreign Agents Bill, saying “simply this law is not okay. He said: “This is not a European law. This is …
Tags: EU Ambassador, EU integration, foreign agents law, Paweł Herczyński
Coalition of 12 CSOs Assess Implementation of EU’s Nine Conditions
On April 11, the coalition of twelve local civil society organizations presented the interim report “Status Meter,” which assesses the Government’s progress in implementing the nine conditions set for Georgia by the European Commission. The CSOs say Government has not taken any “serious steps” in the past five months to meet the nine conditions and …
Tags: CSOs, EU Ambassador, EU nine conditions, Paweł Herczyński
President of Georgia Establishes NBG Board Selection Commission
On April 10, the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili established the Selection Commission for the members of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) Board and held its first working meeting. The Commission agreed on the procedure for the selection of candidates, the evaluation criteria and the work schedule. The members of the Selection Commission are: …
Tags: National Bank of Georgia (NBG), NBG Board, President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili
EU Political and Security Committee Visits Georgia
The delegation of the Political and Security Committee (PSC) of the European Union is visiting Georgia on April 10-11. During the visit, the members of the delegation have already met with the President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, the Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Foreign Minister, Ilia Darchiashvili, the Minister of Defense, Irakli Chikovani, as well …
Tags: Black Sea, Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani, EU integration, EU Political and Security Committee, EU-Georgia relations, Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, parliamentary majority, President Salome Zurabishvili, Russian Law
US FARA vs. Georgian Foreign Agents Law: Three Major Differences
For well over a year, we have heard Georgian Dream call their proposed law on Foreign Agents an “American law.” And during the same time, we have heard opponents of the law call it a Russian law. While there has been an abundance of rhetoric on the subject, there has been very little factual or …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, FARA, foreign agents law
UPDATE: Speaker Papuashvili Visits Central Asia
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili is in Central Asia on an official visit that will last until April 13, the Parliament announced on April 7. He is scheduled to meet with high-ranking officials from the executive and legislative branches of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Meetings in Uzbekistan Speaker Papuashvili has met with Tanzila …
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